A majority of Croatian members of the European Parliament on Wednesday supported the continuation of sanctions against Russia and strongly condemned the Russian annexation of Ukrainian territories in a discussion on the escalation of the Russian aggression in Ukraine.

In late September, Russia annexed four Ukrainian Regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, after the outcome of the referendums which the West and Ukraine described as sham referendums.

We call for another strong package of sanctions aimed at everyone connected with the illegal referendums because we will never recognise their so-called results. We ask for coordinated activities with regard to visa and asylum applications by Russian citizens and concrete proposals for increased military support, Croatian MEP Tonino Picula (S&D/SDP) said in the debate.

European Union members on Wednesday agreed on a new round of sanctions against Russia. Most MEPs supported that move, unlike Croatian independent MEP Mislav Kolakusic.

We have had 70 years of historical experience of what kind effect sanctions have on an attempt to to overthrow elected representatives of power. We have to turn to diplomacy, said Kolakusic.

MEP Karlo Ressler (EPP/HDZ) commented on Kolakusic’s statement, saying that history also shows us that yielding or disunity in the face of tyranny or imperialism cannot help, but in fact accomplishes quite the opposite.

Croatian MEP Suncana Glavk (EPP/HDZ) said that the EU should not yield to the Russian Federation and that she would continue to support Ukraine.

Ressler told Hina that the outcome of the war in Ukraine would shape the entire Europe, how we will live, how our children will live, and that was why it was important to show unity in everything and agree on a new package of sanctions.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed in the key discussion of this plenary session that the prices of gas for the production of electricity be capped, and she advocated a joint system for energy procurement in the EU.

The head of the Commission warned that gas storage facilities would have to be refilled after the winter, pointing out that the EU should have a joint system for energy procurement.

The European Union is trying to cease being dependent on Russian energy. Croatia announced the expansion of the capacity of the LNG terminal on the island of Krk, forecasting it would become the regional centre for gas supply.

Ressler said that raising the capacities of the LNG terminal was good both for Croatia and Europe. We are in a relatively better situation than some other member states, but it is important that all of us together show solidarity within the EU and the winter passes with as few consequences as possible for European citizens, he added.